Male or Female: An Analysis of the Two Couples in “White Tigers” in The Woman Warrior

Abstract

The Woman Warrior, written by Maxine Hong Kingston, depicts some either real or imaginary stories focusing on five women, with several male images connected with those mainly portrayed females. However, the two couples in “White Tigers” maintain a kind of harmonious relationship and bear some subversive character features, compared with others in the novel, even in other literary works. This paper makes an analysis of the two couples’ major characteristics through close reading, explores the probable causes by seeking the cultural origins and from the perspective of historical criticism, and then draws the conclusion that the two couples are testaments to androgyny, which, indeed, cannot go without Eastern philosophy, Western mythology and the experiences of Maxine Hong Kingston.